Better World
by Irideae
Summary: He is a SHERlock 6. He is assigned to the spaceship Endymion on a research mission to the moon Ganymede, of Jupiter. He is prepared, he is ready, and he is vital to this mission. He scoffs quietly at this - definitely an encouraging message left by a sentimental programmer.


_Introducing the SHERlock 6, the most advanced and humanlike cybernetic android in the world today. With an emotional sensitivity level higher than any predecessor, he is sure to astonish you with his improved and refined ability to carry out authentic human interaction, and is guaranteed to be able to blend seamlessly into any working environment._

_Designed to be practiced and efficient, SHERlock 6 can become instantly competent in almost every field, is willing to perform any task without resistance or question, and will always persevere until reaching his objective, no matter how irregular or difficult others might find it to be._

_Explore, Discover and Build Better Worlds with the SHERlock 6! _

* * *

The android steps out of his containment pod, eyes open, mind running for the first time, and slowly looks around. He is in a clean white space about three feet long and two feet across evenly and brightly lit. Evidently, the room is not intended for anything other than containing him. There is nothing aside from the pod, and a door. Before he opens it, he takes stock of his pre-programmed information.

He is a SHERlock 6. He is assigned to the spaceship Endymion on a research mission to the moon Ganymede, of Jupiter. There are fifteen crewmembers currently cryogenically frozen on board, and it is his job to manage their vital signs and wake them two months before arrival, then carry out any tasks they ask him to do. He is prepared, he is ready, and he is vital to this mission. He scoffs quietly at this – definitely an encouraging message left by a sentimental programmer.

But he isn't prepared, or ready, for the small creature that comes running up to him as soon as he leaves the chamber and enters the main atrium, brushing its furry head against his leg and looking eagerly up at him. He is helpfully informed by his mind that this is a cat, also cryogenically frozen but woken a few days before, brought onboard as a companion during the time that he will spend without human company. He slowly bends down and picks it up uncertainly, and it makes a quiet, contented noise as it settles in a way that can't possibly be comfortable, fluffy cream body curled strangely and face pressed snugly against his arm. But as this is a different species than the humans he has the information to manage, he decides that he shouldn't make assumptions, and begins to head toward the cryogenic freezers.

* * *

He names the cat John, and cannot quite place the emotion he feels toward him. What he does know is that he doesn't feel alone when he checks the Endymion's course every morning, John dozing in his lap, that he feels comfortable when John goes alongside him when he examines the humans' vital signs every two hours, that he feels content when he sits in his downtime, carding his fingers through the cat's fur in a way that makes him make the soft, pleased noises he somehow likes so much.

He talks to him, sometimes, learning to use his voice to express his thoughts. He know John can't reply, but sometimes he will chirp in response, and he always, always is willing to listen.

He likes John. John makes him feel the warm, bright feeling he comes to know as happiness. John is his friend.

* * *

He does not feel the same way about the humans.

When the time comes and he wakes them up, they are brusque, loud, and never give him a second glance when they order him to run errands for them, most of which he find to be dull and unnecessary. They express the emotions he identifies within himself in an unreasonably magnified manner amongst one another, but have never spoken to him for longer than a few moments when they give him orders, and look upon him with what he identifies as disdain.

He finds it difficult to understand why he is programmed with emotions if they aren't of use to the humans, especially if his only purpose is to serve them, but he dutifully continues feeling as he does the things he was supposedly made to do.

And yet when his assistance isn't needed and he retreats to unobtrusive places to sit and pet John, feeling placidity and happiness, a part of him knows that his emotions are indeed his best feature, even if only for him.

* * *

The one time the humans seem to show that they truly need him is a week before they are set to arrive at their destination, when the tall dark-haired male finds a hostile extraterrestrial that has made its way into their ship in the cargo bay and is eaten, skin first.

His mind unhelpfully makes comparisons of the extraterrestrial to insects he has never seen before. The humans scream for him, tell him to retrieve weapons. By the time he does, two more are dead. The humans are panicking, and something tells him he should be, too, but he feels oddly detached to the situation. The extraterrestrial desires skin and flesh. He does not have either of those, and he has locked John safely away in the cockpit. What does it matter to him?

_What does it matter to him?_

The SHERlock 6 is created to have emotions that help him make conscious decisions.

He walks away from the fight, ignoring the agitated shouts behind him and the sound of another human being devoured, bones crunching, the horrified, despairing shriek (the blonde female by the sound of it, making the one being eaten most likely the short olive-skinned male), and heads to the cockpit. John is there to greet him, the way he did the first time they met, and he scoops him up and sits down at the control panel. The buttons, levers and switches, though he was never programmed with information about them, are not too complicated for him. _Exterior Shade, Emergency Power… Airlock 3._

SHERlock 6 uses his emotions to make a conscious decision.

It will be a better place, like it was before _them_, two months before.

SHERlock.

John.

With each other, and nothing else at all between them, around them, not seeing them.

A better place.

A Better World.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Reviews make me very happy.**

**Some ideas and elements in this fic are inspired by Prometheus and the Alien movies, although I haven't watched any of those yet, so this isn't intended to actually take place in that universe.**

**I don't own anything, not even the laptop I'm using to upload this ; - ;**


End file.
